Judge Awards Meat Choppers $3.1 Million

November 13, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A federal
judge sided with 815 current and former production-line
employees of IBP in a class-action lawsuit, ordering that the
meatpacking giant pay the workers $3.1 million in back
salary, according to the Associated Press.

US District Judge Robert Whaley found that IBP, owned by
Tyson Foods, had violated state and federal wage and hour
laws by failing to pay workers for time spent preparing for
and cleaning up after their jobs at the group’s Washington
State plant.

The employees’ lawsuit claimed that between June
1995 and May 2000, workers arrived for their production
line jobs 30 to 45 minutes early and stayed 20 minutes
after their shift to remove, wash, and store equipment,
according to the news report.

In addition, workers had to remove their contaminated
work gear before lunch and then put it on afterward, on
their own time.

However, maintaining that their practices were in
compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, IBP said in a
statement “contrary to the claims made, we pay our team
members for all of the production time worked. We also pay
for the time they spend immediately before and after work,
putting on and taking off the clothing and equipment
required for their jobs.”

The plant employs about 1,400 workers, who process about
280 cows per hour.